gingerbread crispy treats

Last week when I told Isabella I wondered what gingerbread rice crispy treats would taste like, she rolled her eyes and said “oh here we go…gingerbread this, and gingerbread that”. It was a page right out of the Michael Perillo playbook. He would’ve teased me incessantly about the tear I’ve been on the last two weeks. I just.can’t.stop.

I won’t stop.

But, I think we covered that with my last post, you know the one where I made a NO-BAKE GINGERBREAD CREAM PIE. Sorry, but that one got me really excited—I had to get that out, and only all caps would do. Can you tell I’m feeling punchy tonight? I’m just feeling a groove I haven’t felt in quite some time, and truth be told—it’s nice to be my own muse, of sorts. I’ve nothing more witty to say about this recipe, just that it’s so easy, and the perfect thing to make when you’re short on time (and who isn’t this week?). Provided you have the ingredients on hand, these treats are ready to eat in about 45 minutes, from start to finish. You can make a tray, wrap it in a cloth, and bring it as a hostess gift (the gingerbread twist ups the ante, making them worthy in my opinion). Last minute class party? It’s great for those, too.

I suppose you can add a fancier finish to them. A drizzle of chocolate? Maybe a swirl of melted butterscotch chips? I prefer to keep the presentation simple, and watch the wow when people bite into them. I went with a gluten free cereal, to make them more inclusive. Next batch I’ll try some dairy-free alternatives for the butter to really make them a fun treat that everyone can truly enjoy. I’m off to finish baking some sugar cookies. I’ve got a date this week with 24 kindergarten and first graders to decorate cookies to sell out our school fundraiser this Friday.

See you in a bit, and if I can keep up with the crazy schedule this week, I might have ONE MORE gingerbready recipe to share!

Line a 9-inch (22-cm) by 13-inch (33-cm) pan with a sheet of parchment paper long enough to hang over the sides.

Add the butter, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to a 4-quart deep pot. Cook over medium heat until completely melted. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted (it’ll look like warm fluff). Stir in the salt. Add the crisped rice, and stir quickly, until well coated. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula to press it out to the edges of the pan, and into an even layer. Let cool for about 30 minutes, until it’s set. Using the ends of the parchment paper as handles, lift the treats from the pan. Cut into 24 squares. Store in a tin, in a cool dry place for up to three days.

Kenda

I love it when you get PUNCHY. These treats sound amazingly tasty and easy (my fave part). Can’t wait to try them. Maybe you should write a book, “Gingerbread for the Soul.” It can be more comforting than chicken soup in many ways. 🙂

Rhonda

Don’t you just love it when your kids exhibit personality traits/little quirks possessed by other loved ones? So much fun for me to see that in my own children! And these gingerbread crispy treats sound yummy and also doable for me, as I’m gluten free. Thanks!

Dina

Mindi

These look amazing! My kids are begging me to made gingerbread cookies this weekend but the thought of rolling out dough and using cookie cutters seems like so much work (I’m more of a drop cookie fan!). Maybe I can convince them to make these instead!

Oh my goodness. I was so excited to see these in my email yesterday morning that I just had to make them when I got home from work last night! They are delicious (it’s possible that I snagged some warm, gooey bits right from the pot) and I’ll likely be making another two batches in the next few days. Yeah, I’m in love with the simplicity of the recipe and the delicious spiced flavor. Happy Christmas to you and your girls.

I haven’t had a rice crispy treat in years but this recipe just called to me. I went to my mom’s for the holiday and she and my aunt both kind of scoffed at my suggestion to make these. I did it anyway and they were a big hit! Everyone loved them, me especially! Such an unexpected flavor in a usual looking treat. Thanks for the inspiration and recipe. I love your blog and all you share. You are strong and inspired and so honest and true. I look forward to your posts.

Tracy

Found a bag of gingerbread flavored marshmallows in my pantry so I made a pan of rice krispie treats using them, hoping they would be wonderful. Wonderful – no. They were okay, we all ate them, but the gingerbread flavor was too light; you could tell there was something, but gingerbread wouldn’t have been your first guess.
Yours on the other hand ARE wonderful – the flavor is definitely there, nice and spicy.